Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-09-28

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one; neglect nothing in construction so as to re-
duce the cost OF maintenance to nothing. and save
caused in much-traveled streets by the presence
Of rails in bad Order"
THE BEST RAIL IN WASHINGTON.
With the exception Of the Metropolitan rail at
the intersection Of 9th street and PENNSYLVANIA
avenue, the rail recently laid by the Columbia
Railroad Is the best in the city. 1t is open to the
objections that 1t involves the use OF wooden ties
has not continuous longitudinal support, being
~ sloe-0eaIng IN lorm, the inter-rail space will
always hold more or less dirt and street filth and
breaks tne uniformity OF street surface
AS COMPARISON OF THE COST
OF maintenance OF the wooden and cast-iron
stringer systems, the following is given as the es-
timated annual cost Of maintenance of one mile
OF double track OF the Manchester rail Darker
system; RAN l26 tons steel, at SO, s5,292 Life
OF rail, tWenty-one years; St, 292 divided by 2l
$3.50, annual cost for this item. Assuming the In
ter-rail pavement to be the same as before and
Of concrete pavements adjacent to outer rails, we
have annual cost OF maintenance: Renewal Of
rails Ss52; renewal enc Of pavement s33l47; main
The difference in first cost is per mile OF double
track: Washington system, $40, 9Ol 80; Man
chester hes system, sss. 1858; difference, s2s 466o OF.
The difference in cost OF maintenance is: wash
difference $699. Is.
tracks OF these two systems which are forsy-one
years Oid VIII nave required the same outlay, and
after that period the Manchester system will be
far cheaper.
THE PAVING NEXT THR RAILS.
The paving, repaving, and repairing the two
feet spaces adjacent to the outer rails is an i'm
portant item In the cost OF maintenance. The
Washington and Georgetown Company, with 10
miles OF track, have expended $44,S1763 in re-
pairs to pavements within the twO-foot spaces OF
the outer rails In the past seven years. as follows:
1850, 81 a3,0 0e 1881, q 1,3s092; 1882 Sc, 1897;
1ss:s, tl43 81 1884 s7os1: :55; 1855, s267323;
a
Average per mile OF track 364O25, or "a cents per
square yard OF pavement.
Das Mh sns rs naso5 a5d ss1ngers such
center grooyed rails, giving a smooth roadway.
comes necessary to remove such rails for any
cause whatever they should be replaced by i'm
THE GROOVE RAIL
is unQuestionably the best and is admirably
adapted to the streets OF Washington, as is shown
by the crossing recently laid by the Metropolitan
Railway co. at Pennsylvania avenue and 9th
street. Cast-tron stringers are far preferable to
the use OF wood, but the question Of expense may
ton rail-
The new Columbia rail is great improvement
on the Old FORMS but is not the equal Of the Boston
rail- SO far as the rails alone concerned there
Is no practical difficulty In the use OF the same
track by cars used by horses and others moyed by
cable power.
AAFANu bhIWkEN THE TRACKS.
SO far as the interests OF the public are con-
cerned, the question of paving between tracks and
rails is of equal II not greater importance than the
form OF rail- The act providing q permanent form
or government for the District Of Columbia, ap-
proved June II, 1878 provides as follows: 'The
Sald railway companies having COnfOrmed to the
grades established by the Commissioners, may
use such cobblestones or Belgian blocks for paving
their tracks or the space between their tracks as
the commissioners may direct.
"When street railways cross any street or ave.
nue., the pavement between the tracks of such
railway shall conform to the pavement used upon
such street or avenue, and the companies owning
these 1ntersecting railroads shall pay for such
pavements In the same manner and proportion as
provisions OF this section"
Up TO the past year the railway companies
were permitted m tied to use cobblestones between the
tracks and rails. On November r. 1886, the Com
missioners issued the following order:
"Ordered: That In conformity with the pro-
visions OF section 5, OF the act Of June IL, 1878
providing for o permanent form OF government
for the District Of Columbia, the space between
the tracks OF street railways where there is more
with block pavement fas order is to take efrecs
IN all cases where 1t Is needful to repair or relay
such 1nter.track spaces, be the same great or
small"
THE BEST MATERIAL FOR PAVING BETWEEN TIE
TRACKS.
This disFoses OF the cObblestOne between the
tracks; but while Belgian blocks were considered
to make good pavement In 1873, they would not
be the best or the cheapest material for this pur
poss at one present time The Beigian-biock pave
menu would cost about $3.50 per square yard. The
last contract price was $3.50 per square yard for
paving 7th street, between street south and
street nOrth In 1906 Granite block to all in
tentS and purposes an improved form OF Belgian
Olock pavement, costs $2.4S per square yard:
aspnat block costs 81 per square yard. The latter
Is, therefore, cheaper as 1t is better in some re-
spects, Than either Belgian or granite blocks The
prices given above are contract rates. and would
De somewhat greater for paving between tracks.
NJ a. rs<axl
Qu1rlng renewals and repairs at more or less fire.
Quent intervals and rendering impossible the So
aey 20 % track Necessary for the proper maintain
on the whole, the best paEement at present for
the inter-track spaces. They are smooth, clean,
nearly noiseless sufficiently durable On that loca.
tion) and can be easily removed or relaid when
repairs to the track are needed.
THE PAYMENTS IN THE INTER-RAn SPACES
The cobblestone pavements in the internal
spaces are cheap, and have been supposed to afford
better footing for the horses than the other pave
ments, although the claim Is q doubtful one. In
every other respect they are nusances. and should
De replaced The block pavements In the inter-
rail spaces OF the Washington and Georgetown
swer Its purpose, and the other railways should
follow this example. The first cost is the great
obstacle: The cost OF maintenance is less than
The sheeG pavements are perhaps Objectionable
In internal spaces, they may not afford secure
lootlng lor horses In wet weather and during the
" toA SdC PIeScut IOFIn or EaIIS, WoOu-
stringers &C., they not satisfactory either be-
tween the tracks or the rails, as the play OF the
rail- ana Che strlngerS too raD1d wearing and
general deterioration Of the pavement IL i'm
proved forms OF rails be adopted, and cspec1-
any II castiron stringers firmly 1mbedded
phalt or dtst1llate) can be laid with entire Sc
curty between the track and rails at street inter-
sections, as now required by law. The MANY fa.
vorable comments on the 9th-street CROSSING OF
PennsylVanla avenue Is evidence OF the favor with
which the public would receive such an improve
tain objection OF poor footing for the horses could
De neglected as the police regulations now require
that no vehicle shall stop upon street-cross1np
or upon the carriageway OF a street 1ntersectIOn
and this would give the horse block footing In
starting the car.
NEEDED LEGISLATION.
1t Is respectfully submitted that it would be ad-
vantageous to recommend to Congress the passage
OF suitable laws to carry out these suggested i'm
provements AS beginning the companies should
be compelled to substitute RroOyed rails for the
present forms at street CROSSINGS and tO M We
crossings IN accordance with The law quoted This
could De done under suitable regulations allowing
the companies reasonable time to complete the
work. and would not involve two great an expense
1t would remove one OF the most serious causes
for complaint against the present system
AS additional and possibility useful Information
following: ' '-10
Passengers carried by the Washington and
Georgetown Rtlr0ad Co.
Five cent 1-6 cent Three cent
Year. Fares. Fares. Fares Total
1880 4,9i3633 33s6 3ss . s3oae71
1881 1881, $541;as9 5,os$75s sos,,ss55s sso7. .a5
1883 3,79s,s77 5,5O2,s95 1864 iS66s9id
1854 4,OlO, 57S 5,05S..66 1'54R'.07 ~ 1SIS151